Genetics blessed us beautiful people of recent African descent with beautiful, full lips. But if you don't take care of them they can become dry, cracking, lipstick-eating monsters that never seem to hold a color or gloss evenly for more than a few hours. You put your lipstick on and within a few hours it's gone, retreated to the wrinkles and smudging around the edges.
So, the first thing, just like the skin on other parts of your body, lips need EXFOLIATION to get rid of the dead skin that builds up on the surface.
Now, here’s the thing. I have tried about 6 lip exfoliators. Creams, rubs, sponges, brushes… some worked better than others but none of them worked very well. A few scratched me and made my lips sore, one felt like it was burning, and others did nothing much at all. I even tried natural ones made of ground up fruit pips. Messy and gave me the heebee jeebies. Leached around my lips onto my skin.
So, one day I was giving myself a manicure and here's my tip...
Tip: I have been using a soft and fine natural emery board to exfoliate my lips. And it's brilliant. Here's how I do it. First, I disinfect the emery board using alcohol or a hand sanitizer. This also softens it slightly. Then I rub a drop of pure jojoba or argan oil onto my lips.
Method: Using the fine side, rub in a circular motion starting in the middle of your lips. gently move to the corners of your mouth making sure you get into the corners where you need to exfoliate. Repeat on the top lip from the center to the corners of your mouth -again in a circular motion. Repeat the process a couple of times on each lip. Then use makeup pad dampened in water or face cleansing cream to lift any exfoliated skin off. Once or twice a week is all you need.
The important c
aveat I will put here is, don't use the cheap abrasive emery boards (you know the ones you get 10 in a pack for $1.99 at Dollar Tree), because you may damage the delicate skin on your lips. Invest in a natural, safe board with a thick edge, not a thin one that may act like a knife edge on your lips. And use it exclusively for your lips, not your nails AND your lips.
Try it for a month. Let me know how it works for you (or if it flames out).
I will be blogging more about some lip products I have tried and one in fact that is so amazing that it has transformed my lips and I am using every single day.
And as always drink plenty of water and keep yourself hydrated to benefit the skin all over your body.
(The shimmery red nail polish I am wearing is Orly Breathable + Treatment polish in Stronger Than Ever.)
